How Do You Take Your Tea?

[SiHart]

I'm making a cuppa... how do you take you cup of tea?

And whats the best method of making it?

What brand/ blend do you prefer?

I'd like to know!

Si xx

[Wayne]

Earl Grey with a little bit of milk.
Milk first. Then water.
No sugar.
Thanks Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

Personally I like to have mine served in a cup and then dither for ages over whether or not my having sugar in it would change the course of human history...

Alternatively, there are two methods which are used in Curnow Towers:

Andrew's Method: Put the tea bag in the cup, pour boiling water in (and I do mean boiling, pour it in just as the kettle peaks), stir vigorously, add milk, stir again until you get the colour you like, squish the bag against the side of the cup and dispose.

Zel's Method: "I'm a bit thirsty, Andrew..."

[SiHart]

Zel's Method: "I'm a bit thirsty, Andrew..."

You'll be in trouble again shortly I suspect Mr Curnow!

Si xx

[Wayne]

Zel's Method: "I'm a bit thirsty, Andrew..."

So Zel prefers a mug? As it were.

So do i. Infact i don't own a cup & saucer!

It's always the same argument isn't it re whether to put the milk in first or last? People can get quite serious about it! I've always put it in first. I like to see how much i'm using.

[Pip Madeley]

I like it hot and wet.

With milk and two sugars.

Bag first, then sugar, then boiling water, take bag out, add milk, stir.

I don't drink much tea anymore, in fact I only have a cup or two a week when I'm at my dad's house. Like I am now. So I expect I'll be having a brew shortly.

[shada pavlova]

I like it hot and wet.

With milk and two sugars.

Bag first, then sugar, then boiling water, take bag out, add milk, stir.

What he said.

But with 3 sugars.

I've got a bit of a sweet tooth.

[Wayne]

Have you got any teeth left?

[Si Hunt]

Teabag into empty cup first, no sugar for me. If you're going to add sugar, it goes in now. No milk yet, or the water will be cooled by the milk as it goes in and you won't be brewing at 100 degrees.

Fill with absolutely boiling water to the position the finished tea is required to fill the cup - the mass of the teabag will be almost exactly compensated for by the volume of milk. Schoolboy error here is to either overfill and thus suffer spillage during a bungled attempt to remove the teabag, or to try and anticipate room for the milk forgetting that the teabag is taking up mass, thus leading to "half full cup" syndrome or, even worse, a disgustingly over milked cup in an attempt to 'top up' your way out of it.

Mash the teabag for around a minute - do not use a dirty or greasy spoon as this will lead to horrid 'grease pools' in the tea (you'd be amazed how many people tumble down this elementary tea-making quagmire). Remember kids, still no milk in the equation. Mashing time is largely a matter of judgement - leaving it while you go upstairs to re-tile the bathroom will result in a potion that will take the top layer off your sink when you pour it away in terror, whipping it out too soon will leave you trying to salvage a weak brew later. Use your common sense, but under brewing is preferable as you can exercise some damage limitation at the next stage.

Now, carefully pour in a little of the milk with the teabag still in the cup, not enough to cause spills but enough to judge if further mashing is required from the colour. Give the teabag a final gentle massage with the spoon before removing the teabag when you are satisfied of a confident yet not harsh tea colour. Place the teabag on a clean saucer and stir the tea, even if there is no sugar in. This ensures the final colour is brought out for the recipient, and that all 'milk swirls' are gone. If the worst happens and it suddenly seems weak, providing you used the saucer and didn't go straight for the bin, it's not a crime to briefly return the tea-bag to the cup for a final mash. Desperados may even sacrifice a second tea-bag for this purpose, though be quick or you get instant flavour overload.

Serve immediately. Voila!

Si.

[Wayne]

It's always the same argument isn't it re whether to put the milk in first or last? People can get quite serious about it! I've always put it in first. I like to see how much i'm using.

I told you!

[Dave Tudor]

Strong, with only a little drop of milk - I can't bear weak, milky tea!

I'm sometimes a bit hit-and-miss with my tea - for instance, I've just had one that wasn't that nice, really. However, I'm usually commended on my tea-making abilities (apart from an ex-boss who kept reminding me to boil the kettle each time he told me to make the tea, as he thought I'd forgotten once! Cheeky git!), and my secret is to the water as soon as it's boiled (ha, ex-boss!), even if it means re-boiling the kettle if I've been distracted for a minute, for instance. I've never timed how long exactly I leave the bag in for, it's instinctive really. As for the milk, well I went through a phase of putting it in first (I always do if I'm making a pot) but I tend to put it in afterwards, as I can judge just how much I need.

[MinaHarker]

I put the milk in first simply because it gives me something to do while the kettle is boiling.....

PG Tips - White with one sugar.

I also like camomile and peppermint teas (but not with milk and sugar, natch).

[Si Hunt]

Let's have some more votes for "best make of Tea" please.

Then watch this

Si.

[SiHart]

Sainsbury's Red Label is very popular at Hart-McCow Towers.

Si xx

[Wayne]

Twinings Earl Grey.

[Pip Madeley]

Twinings?!

[Martin Penny]

I make rubbish tea, at least I think I do...I think people are usually too polite to tell me when I make them a cup!

[Wayne]

@Pip







Make it so!

[Pip Madeley]

[Rob McCow]

Picard usually takes his tea orally.

Usually.

[Wayne]

But without cream.

[Jon Masters]

Put one large spoonful of Nescafe original, and one sweetener.

Wait 30 seconds after the kettle has boiled (otherwise too bitter), then add water, milk and small slug of Baileys.

I dislike tea even more than I dislike lager

If I make it for someone else you get milk in mug first, add teabag and water. Smash about until nasty brown colour then discard teabag.
If you don't like it like that, make your own

[SiHart]

Picard usually takes his tea orally.

And hot.

Si xx

[Wayne]

@Jon

I dislike tea even more than I dislike lager

9½ lbs. Belgian Pils malt
8 oz. Flaked wheat
4 oz. Flaked barley
4 oz. Aromatic
4 oz. Biscuit
4 oz. Chocolate
2 oz. Honey Malt
4 oz. Munich Malt
390 ppg for grains
8 oz. Dark Candi Sugar
2 oz. Malto Dextrine
1 oz. Pride of Ringwood hops
½ oz. Styrian Goldings after 45 minutes
OG for 5.5 Gallons: 1.070
Week long primary fermentation, then racked to two week secondary primed with 1-1/8 cup dark DME
FG comes out to: 1.015

[Captain Tancredi]

These days I tend to drink mostly black tea at work- at home at the weekend if I have a spare hour I like to make a pot of tea using my Denby teapot and tea from a specialist shop near Covent Garden.